Did you know that unnecessary clutter on your business website can result in lost leads or sales? With every extra gadget, widget, slideshow, or piece of content comes a potential distraction away from your ultimate goal: the conversion.
Many years ago, when the internet was young, the in thing was to clutter up your website with anything possible: weather widgets, animated GIFs, unnecessary links. Why? Because you could! Websites were new and cool!
Now, several years later, the web is growing up, and simplicity is in. There’s no need to fill every inch of your website with something just because there’s space. Instead, consider a measured approach in which you assess what your target market’s needs really are and how you can convince them to buy or become a lead. Then, only include on your website the items that meet this goal. Need some help? Read on.
Remember the 80/20 rule
Sometimes called the Pareto Principle, the 80/20 rule states that 80 percent of effects come from 20 percent of causes. In other words, 80 percent of sales or leads you generate from your website probably come from 20 percent of the content on it. So focusing on that 20 percent and reducing or eliminating the rest can result in a higher conversion rate.
Knowing what speaks to your target audience is really what helps here. Working with a marketer can reveal these items to you. You can always read more on how the 80/20 rule applies to web design.
Keep the call to action front and center
Your website’s call to action, that piece that makes it easy and obvious for your website visitors to convert, should be easily visible and usable anywhere on your website. This is obviously part of your 20 percent, so make sure that it’s working well. You can read more about effective calls to action.
Rethink the slideshow
Home page slideshows have been popular on websites for several years, but now, some websites are removing them. Why? In general, they aren’t very effective in converting site visitors to customers. Research has shown that home page slideshows can damage a site’s search engine optimization (SEO), not work well on mobile devices, and cause site visitors to ignore your important content. There may be instances when a slideshow on your home page makes sense, but think twice before using one.
By focusing on what your target audience is looking for and the few parts of your website that deliver the best results, you can simplify your site to improve your site’s effectiveness and boost your conversion rate.
